ders he had left behind him, which plainly fhew'd, according to Jofeph's Interpretation, that he could neither. live nor die without her. This barbarous Instance of a wild unreasonable Paffion, quite put out, for a Time, thofe little Remains of Affection fhe ftill had for her Lord: Her Thoughts were fo wholly taken up with the Cruelty of his Orders, that he could not confider the Kindness that produced them, and therefore reprefented him in her Imagination, rather under the frightful Idea. of a Murderer than a Lover. Herod was at length ac quitted and diliniffed by Mark Antony, when his Soul was all in Flames for his Mariamne; but before their Meeting, he was not a little alarm'd at the Report he had heard. of his Uncle's Converfation and Familiarity with her in his Abfence. This therefore was the firft Difcourfe he entertain'd her with, in which he found it no eafy Matter to quiet his Sufpicions. But at last he appeared fo well fatisfied of her Innocence, that from Reproaches and Wranglings he fell to Tears and Embraces. Both of them wept very tenderly at their Reconciliation, and Herod poured out his whole Soul to her in the warmeft Proteftations of Love and Conftancy; when amidst all his Sighs and Languishings fhe asked him, whether the private Ŏrders he left with his Uncle Jofeph were an Inftance of fuch an inflamed Affection. The jealous King was immediately roufed at fo unexpected a Queftion, and concluded his Uncle must have been too familiar with her, before he would have discovered fuch a Secret. In fhort, he put his Uncle to Death, and very difficultly prevailed! upon himself to fpare Mariamne.

AFTER this he was forced on a fecond Journey into Egypt, when he committed his Lady to the Care of So-. hemus, with the fame private Orders he had before given his Uncle, if any Mischief befel himself. In the mean while Mariamme fo won upon Sobemus by her Prefents and obliging Converfation, that the drew all the Secret from him, with which Herod had intrufted him; fo that after his Return, when he flew to her with all the Tranf ports of Joy and Love, fhe received him coldly with Sighs and Tears, and all the Marks of Indifference and Averfion. This Reception fo ftirred up his Indignation, that he had certainly, dain her with his own Hands, had

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not he feared he himself should have become the greater Sufferer by it. It was not long after this, when he had another violent Return of Love upon him; Mariamne was therefore fent for to him, whom he endeavoured to foften and reconcile with all poffible conjugal Careffes and Endearments; but the declined his Embraces, and anfwered all his Fondnefs with bitter Invectives for the Death of her Father and her Brother. This Behaviou fo incenfed Herod that he very hardly refrained from striking her; when in the Heat of their Quarrel there came in a Witness, fuborn'd by fome of Mariamne's Enemies, who accused her to the King of a Defign to poifon him. Herod was now prepared to hear any Thing in her Prejudice, and immediately order'd her Servant to be ftretch'd upon the Rack; who in the Extremity of his Tortures confeft, that his Miftrefs's Averfion to the King arose from fomething Sobemus had told her, but as for any De fign of poifoning, he utterly difowned the leaft Know ledge of it. This Confeffion quickly proved fatal to So hemus, who now lay under the fame Sufpicions and Sen tence that Jofeph had before him on the like Occafion. Nor would Herod rest here; but accufed her with great Vehemence of a Defign upon his Life, and by his Autho rity with the Judges had her publickly condemned and executed. Herod foon after her Death grew melancholy and dejected, retiring from the publick Administration of Affairs into a folitary Foreft, and there abandoning himself to all the black Confiderations which naturally a rife from a Paffion made up of Love, Remorfe, Pity and Despair. He used to rave for his Mariamne, and to call upon her in his distracted Fits; and in all Probability would foon have followed her, had not his Thoughts been feafonably called off from fo fad an Object by Pub lick Storms, which at that Time very nearly threatned him.

Non folùm Scientia, qua eft remota à Juftitia, Calliditas potiùs quàm Sapientia eft appellanda; verùm etiam Animus paratus ad periculum, fi fua cupiditate, non utilitate communi impellitur, Audacia potiùs nomen habeat, quàm Fortitudinis Plato apud Tull.

T

HERE can be no greater Injury to humane Society, than that good Talents among Men fhould be held honourable to thofe who are endowed with them, without any Regard how they are applied: The Gifts of Nature and Accomplishments of Art are valuable, but as they are exerted in the Interests of Virtue, or governed by the Rules of Honour. We ought to abftract our Minds from the Obfervation of any Excellence in those we converfe with, till we have taken fome Notice, or received fome good Information of the Difpofition of their Minds; otherwise the Beauty of their Perfons, or the Charms of their Wit, may make us fond of those whom our Reason and Judgment will tell us we ought to abhor.

WHEN we fuffer our felves to be thus carried away by meer Beauty, or meer Wit, Omniamante with all her Vice will bear away as much of our Good-will as the most innocent Virgin or difcreeteft Matron; and there cannot be more abject Slavery in this World, than to doat upon what we think we ought to condemn: Yet this must be our Condition in all the Parts of Life, if we fuffer our felves to approve any Thing but what tends to the Promotion of what is good and honourable. If we would take true Pains with our felves to confider all Things by the Light of Reason and Juftice, tho' a Man were in the Height of Youth and amorous Inclinations, he would look upon a Coquet with the fame Contempt or Indifference as he would upon a Coxcomb: The wanton Carriage in a Woman, would difappoint her of the Admiration which fhe aims at; and the vain Drefs or Difcourfe of a Man, would

would deftroy the Comlinefs of his Shape, or Goodness of his Understanding. Ifay the Goodness of his Undertanding, for it is no lefs common to fee Men of Senfe commence Coxcombs, than beautiful Women become immodeft. When this happens in either, the Favour we are naturally inclined to give to the good Qualities they have from Nature, fhould abate in Proportion. But however juft it is to measure the Value of Men by the Appli cation of their Talents, and not by the Eminence of those Qualities abftracted from their Úfe; I fay, however juft fuch a Way of judging is, in all Ages as well as this, the Contrary has prevailed upon the Generality of Mankind. lewd Devices have been preserved from one Age to another, which had perifhed as foon as they were made, if Painters and Sculptors had been esteemed as much for the Purpofe as the Execution of their Designs. Modeft and well-governed Imaginations, have by this Means loft the Reprefentations of Ten Thousand charming Portraitures, filled with Images of innate Truth, generous Zeal, couragious Faith, and tender Humanity; inftead of which, Satyrs, Furies, and Monsters are recommended by thofe Arts to a fhameful Eternity.

How many

THE unjuft Application of laudable Talents, is tolerated in the general Opinion of Men, not only in fuch Cafes as are here mentioned, but also in Matters which concern ordinary Life. If a Lawyer were to be efteemed only as he ufes his Parts in contending for Juftice, and were immediately defpicable when he appeared in a Cause which he could not but know was an unjust one, how honourable would his Character be? And how honourable is it in fuch among us, who follow the Profeffion no otherwife, than as labouring to protect the Injured, to fubdue the Oppreffor, to imprison the careless Debtor, and do right to the painful Artificer? But many of this excellent Character are overlooked by the greater Number; who affect covering a weak Place in a Client's Title, diverting the Courfe of an Enquiry, or finding a skilful Refuge to palliate a Falfhood: Yet it is ftill called Eloquence in the latter, though thus unjustly employed: But Refolution in an Affaffin is, according to Reafon, quite as laudable, as Knowledge and Wifdom exercifed in the Defence of an ill Caufe,

WERE

WERE the Intention ftedfastly confidered, as the Meafure, of Approbation, all Falfhood would foon be out of Countenance: and an Addrefs in impofing upon Mankind, would be as contemptible in one State of Life as another. A Couple of Courtiers making Profeffions of Efteem, would make the fame Figure after Breach of Promife, as two Knights of the Poft convicted of Perjury. But Converfation is fallen fo low in Point of Morality, that as they fay in a Bargain, Let the Buyer look to it; fo in Friendship, he is the Man in Danger who is moft apt to believe: He is the more likely to fuffer in the Commerce, who begins with the Obligation of being the more ready to enter into it.

BUT thofe Men only are truly great, who place their Ambition rather in acquiring to themfelves the Confcience of worthy Enterprizes, than in the Profpect of Glory which attends them. Thefe exalted Spirits would rather be fecretly the Authors of Events which are ferviceable to Mankind, than without being fuch, to have the publick Fame of it. Where therefore an eminent Merit is robbed by Artifice or Detraction, it does but encreafe by fuch Endeavours of its Enemies: The impotent Pains which are taken to fully it, or diffufe it among a Crowd to the Injury of a fingle Perfon, will naturally produce the contrary Effect; the Fire will blaze out, and burn up all that attempt to fmother what they cannot extinguish.

THERE is but one Thing neceffary to keep the Pof feffion of true Glory, which is, to hear the Oppofers of it with Patience, and preferve the Virtue by which it was acquired. When a Man is thoroughly perfwaded that he ought neither to admire, wifh for, or purfue any thing but what is exactly his Duty, it is not in the Power of Seasons, Perfons or Accidents to diminish his Value, He only is a great Man who can neglect the Applaufe of the Multitude, and enjoy himself independent of its Fa your. This is indeed an arduous Task; but it should comfort a glorious Spirit that it is the higheft Step to which human Nature can arrive. Triumph, Applaufe, Accla mation, are dear to the Mind of Man; but it is ftill a more exquifite Delight to fay to your self, you have done well, than to hear the whole humane Race pronounce

you